Every day I wake up, brush my teeth, and then check the numbers on the petition to protect the Cortes forests. I am constantly heartened by the outpouring of support for the initiative to find an alternative to industrial logging on Cortes. The island has a huge fan base from around the world, and the petition response reflects that this is also an issue of truly global proportions, as some of the planet’s last stands of old-growth Coastal Douglas Fir forests are set in Island Timberlands’ and Brookfield Asset Management’s sights.

I have also been following the articles in the Vancouver Observer and The Province (links below), and I have watched in awe as the story spreads like wildfire through social media. Here are some juicy insights into this issue’s increasing momentum on facebook:

In the past week, we’ve seen an 86% increase in the number of people we reach: now, we are reaching almost 1500 people in 20 countries. About 10 new people on facebook start actively following the story each day, with over 80 people talking about the issue and sharing it with their friends. The number of people informed about the situation on Cortes is on the rise, and so is popular commitment to taking action about it.

One result of this increased awareness is that the number of names on the petition has surged, and continues to climb steadily. In that time it took me to write this, 33 more people have signed on. It’s not too late to sign the petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/petitions/PCIFores/signatures?page=29), and if you already have, please consider forwarding the link to people you know with heart-felt connections to Cortes and the natural world, and ask them to sign.

I.T. says it’s coming in January.

It’s time to step up.

Please email wildstands.pressgmail.com to get involved. For the forest, the community, and the world!